Washing device



Oct. 11, 1966 M. L. SCOTT 3,277,675

WASHING DEVICE Filed Janv 16, 1964 5 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR.

WA M.

i ATTORNEY.

Oct. 11, 1966 M. L. SCOTT 3,2 77,675

WASHING DEVICE Filed Jan. 16, 1964 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 I NVEN TOR.

M. L. SCOTT WASHING DEVI CE Oct. 11, 1966 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Jan. 16, 1964 IZIVENTOR.

"5* ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,277,675 WASHING DEVICE Marvin L. Scott, 3369 Meadowbrook Blvd., Cleveland Heights, Ohio Filed Jan. 16, 1964, Ser. No. 338,238 Claims. (Cl. 68-156) This invention relates to a washing device and particularly to a device for household use for preliminary Washing of diapers and the like preparatory to subjecting them to washing in the conventional washing machine.

More particularly, the device is in the form of a washing bucket having a drop bottom through which the contents can be discharged freely when the bottom is dropped. The bucket is arranged to be supported in an upright position by the conventional household porcelain toilet bowl so that the bucket is within the confines of the upper rim of the bowl with its bottom well below the upper rim, and spaced from the inner walls of the bowl in such a manner that the bottom can readily be dropped for instantly freely discharging the contents without splat-tering thereof.

Means are provided for supplying water into the bucket and for agitating the contents thereof, and the bucket is arranged so that when the diapers have been slushed about therein they can be readily lifted out and the remaining contents of the bucket discharged directly downwardly into the toilet bowl.

The various objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description wherein reference is made to the drawings, in which FIGURE 1 embodying the principles of my invention;

FIG. 2 is a vertical sectional view of the device illustrated in FIG. 1, taken on line 22 thereof;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view showing a dirigible connection between the water hose agitator and the bucket;

FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 2, but showing a modification of an agitating means used in the device;

FIG. 5 is similar to FIG. 4, showing another modified form of an agitating means; and

FIG. 6 is a view similar to FIG. 5 showing a third modification of the agitating means.

Referring to the drawings, first FIGURES l and 2, the device shown supported in operating position by the upper rim of a conventional porcelain household toilet bowl B, the toilet seat being raised when the device is used.

The device comprises a bucket in the form of a sleeve 1, which in operating position is upright. The sleeve has a dump bottom 2 normally closing its lower end, and is normally open at the top, as indicated at 3.

The dump bottom is connected to the sleeve so that it can be moved from closed to a widely open position. In the open position it permits the free, almost instantaneous discharge, of the contents of the sleeve or bucket downwardly into the bowl B.

In a preferred form, the bottom 2 comprises a central wall portion 2a and the peripheral wall portion 211, the peripheral wall portion being frusto-conical with its smaller base disposed upwardly. The upper base of the wall 2b has a smaller diameter than the inside diameter of the lower end of the sleeve 1. The lower base has a larger diameter than the inside diameter of the sleeve 1. Thus when the bottom is forced upwardly part way into the sleeve to closed position, its peripheral wall has a stressed fit and sealing engagement with the peripheral wall of the sleeve 1.

Preferably,

the bot-tom is mounted for swinging downwardly to an open position. In order to provide a simple is a top plan view of the washing device a be directed at different angles, as

hinge for swinging of the bottom and also to assure an effective seal, the sleeve 1 may be made of resilient synthetic organic plastic material and the wall 2b riveted to the peripheral wall of thesleeve near the bottom thereof at one side of the sleeve 1. The bottom can be swung upwardly and stressed into engagement with the inner peripheral wall of the sleeve 1 by means of a suitable latch means. The latch means may be in the form of a rod 5, pivotally connected, as indicated at 6, to the wall 2a and having at its upper end a bent over portion 7 to form a book which can be pulled up and snapped over the upper rim of the sleeve 1 to hold the bottom in stressed engagement in closed position.

Mounted on the sleeve is an annulus 10 having a plurality of arms 11 extending outwardly from the sleeve. Preferably, the arms 11 are arranged in two pairs with the arms of each pair being about apart, and the pairs being arranged opposite each other.

The arms 11 are sufficiently long to extend outwardly beyond the rim or the bowl B a distance such that the sleeve 1 cannot be shifted laterally to one side of the bowl to a degree permitting the arms at the other side to fall within the bowl rim.

The annulus 10 preferably is riveted by rivets or the like to the sleeve 1 to provide a substantial reinforcing for stiffening the side walls of the sleeve 1 and of the resulting bucket.

The arms 11 are positioned in spaced relation to the ends of the sleeve 1 and preferably nearer to the bottom than to the top in such position. When they rest on the rim of the bowl B, they support the bucket with its bottom sufficiently far above the inner walls of the bowl B so that the bottom can swing downwardly and permit a very free and almost instantaneous discharge or drop out of the contents of the sleeve.

Thus diapers and the like can be placed into the bucket, and sloshed about to remove the greatest portion of soil therefrom while held suspended by hand, and the bottom opened to dump the bucket. After the operation described, the bottom can be closed and additional water discharged into the bucket. Ordinarly, if the sloshing is not done by hand, suflicient sloshing can be done by means of the hose 12, the hose preferably being fastened to a support 13 which is looped, as indicated at 14, around the upper edge of the bucket and through an aperture 15 therein. A suitable coiled wire 16 binds the hose to the support 13. The lower end of the hose 17 discharges into the bucket and the opposite end 18 is adapted for connection to a Water faucet. The hose, due to the nature of its mounting, can be directed downwardly and over the entire horizontal cross section of the bucket, thus assuring adequate agitation and forceful rinsing of the diapers.

If desired, in addition to the hose, a dasher, such as illustrated in FIG. 2, may be employed. The dasher comprises a rimmed spider 21 mounted on a rod 22 which in turn extends through a suitablehub 23 supported on spider arms 24 on the top of the bucket. The rod 22 extends outwardly above the top of the bucket and is provided with a hand knob 25. The spider is detachably mounted on the top of the bucket and can be placed thereon after the bucket is filled. If desired, a closing top or cap can be substituted for the spider arms 24.

The hub 23 has a passage 26,

for the rod 22, which flares outwardly towards both ends so that the rod 22 can indicated with dotted lines 22a, as well as up and down or axially of the passage, during reciprocation of the rod,

In some instances it is desirable to use a power means for agitation. For this purpose, the bucket 30, illustrated in FIG. 4, is employed. This bucket is the same as that heretofore described, but is provided with a top 35 which supports an electric motor 36. The motor, in turn, drives the shaft 37 on the lower end of which are paddles 38. A hose 39, corresponding to the hose 12 heretofore described, may be employed concurrently. After the bucket is filled the cover 35 is put on and the motor operated to agitate the contents.

In FIG. there is shown another modification in which the bucket 40, somewhat the same as the bucket heretofore described is provided with a cover 41. A wire mesh basket 42 having a top 43 which can be swung to open and closed positions and latched in closed position by a latch 44 is supported on a shaft or rod 45 extending freely through a suitable aperture 46 in the cover 41. Thus the basket can be moved up and down and whirled around for agitation.

If desired, as illustrated in FIG. 6, a power operation may be provided. In this case a bucket 50 is provided which corresponds to the buckets heretofore described except that at its upper end it is provided with a drum portion 51 in which is mounted a rotatable tumbling drum or basket 52 having a wide mesh peripheral wall. The upper portion 51 has suitable stiifening plates 53 at the ends which support stub shafts 54 which, in turn, support the basket 52 for rotation about a horizontal axis. An electric motor 55 is connected to one of the shafts 54 for driving the same and thereby rotating the basket. A removable door or cover 56 is provided for access to the interior of the portion 51 of the basket and the basket is provided with a door 57, held closed by suitable latches 58.

It is apparent that with the present structure soiled diapers can be given a preliminary cleaning and rinsing. Ordinarily, this is done by filling the bucket and agitating the diapers therein and then retaining them while dumping the bucket, followed, if desired, by refilling and additional agitation. On the other hand, if desired, in those cases such as illustrated in FIGS. 5 and 6, the bucket may be dumped and additional water sprayed in to rinse the diapers, while the bottom remains open.

The arrangement is such that the contents of the basket can be discharged almost instantaneously and without splash and splatter, thus causing preliminary flushing of the bowl before flushing by opening the usual flush valve.

Having thus described my invention, I claim: I

1. A washing bucket comprising a sleeve having a pcripheral side wall, said sleeve having an opening at one end substantially coextensive with the inner periphery of said side wall, supporting means connected to the sleeve and disposed between, and spaced from, the ends thereof and extending outwardly from the axis thereof and operable to detachably engage the top rim of a porcelain toilet bowl and detachably support the sleeve in an upright position thereon with said one end at the bottom, said sleeve being substantially symmetrical about an uprig-ht axis, a one-piece drop bottom which is at least coextensive transversely of the sleeve with said opening and which has a sealing wall which is operative in the closed position of the bottom to engage and form a watertight seal with the periphery of said side wall at said one end so as to seal said one end, the engaging portion of at least one of said walls being resilient, connecting means connecting the bottom to the sleeve for swinging movement upwardly to said closed position and swinging movement downw-ardly to an open position wherein said opening is unobstructed so that the contents of the sleeve can drop freely out of said end, manually releasable latch means operable to swing the bottom upwardly to said closed position and, when in latching position to hold the bottom in said closed position and operative when unlatched to permit the bottom to swing downwardly to open position, said bottom, except for the latch means, being unrestrained from swinging downwardly and being operable to swing downwardly freely to said open position upon release of the latch means, said supporting means having supporting surfaces facing said one end and positioned sufiiciently close to said end for supporting the sleeve with said lower end of the sleeve and the drop bottom within the bowl, in a position endwise of the sleeve so that the drop bottom can swing downwardly, unrestrained by the inside wall of the bowl, to an open position permitting a very free and almost instantaneous discharge or drop out of the contents of the sleeve.

2. A washing bucket according to 'claim 1 wherein the bottom has a frusto-conical peripheral wall disposed with its smaller base facing toward the upper end of the sleeve, said smaller base being of slightly smaller external di ameter than the internal diameter of said lower end of the sleeve, the external diameter of the larger base being greater than said internal diameter, and said latch means being operable when in latching position to hold the bottom in closed position with its peripheral wall in stressed engagement with the inner periphery of the side wall of the sleeve adjacent said lower end.

3. A washing bucket according to claim 2 wherein said sleeve is of resilient synthetic organic plastic, thereby to form an effective seal with said peripheral wall of the bottom.

4. A washing bucket according to claim 1 wherein the sleeve is of resilient synthetic organic plastic, and the connecting means connects the bottom to the sleeve wall for movement to open and closed position by flexure of the sleeve wall,

5. A washing bucket according to claim 1 wherein agitating means are carried by the sleeve and comprise a movable agitator and driving means operable for moving the agitator, supporting means supporting the agitator in the sleeve for movement relative thereto with the drive means disposed outside of the sleeve, said agitator being a cont ainer having a wall of open mesh material with large mesh openings.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 889,924 6/ 1908 Hamilton et a1 68-152 1,282,083 10/ 1918 Hessler. 1,671,832 5/ 1928 Lyon. 1,709,142 4/ 1929 McLean 68-140 1,959,058 5/1934 Lonergan 68-152 2,081,559 5/1937 Punke 206-195 2,215,032 9/ 1940 Fischer 68-132 2,329,623 9/1943 Judy 68-181 2,341,729 2/ 1944 Jonson 68-214 2,697,341 12/ 1954 Thomas 68-205 2,752,972 7/ 1956 Tupper -05 2,826,343 3/ 1958 Albiani 222-498 X 2,972,878 2/1961 Dickey 68-181 3,007,329 11/1961 Barks 68-181 3,065,621 11/1962 Sam 68-148 3,122,011 2/1964 Martin 68-205 FOREIGN PATENTS 194,171 3/ 1923 Great Britain.

IRVING BUNEVICH, Primar; Examiner, 

1. A WASHING BUCKET COMPRISING A SLEEVE HAVING A PERIPHERAL SIDE WALL, SAID SLEEVE HAVING AN OPENING AT ONE END SUBSTANTIALLY COEXTENSIVE WITH THE INNER PERIPHERY OF SAID SIDE WALL, SUPPORTING MEANS CONNECTED TO THE SLEEVE AND DISPOSED BETWEEN, AND SPACED FROM , THE ENDS THEREOF AND EXTENDING OUTWARDLY FROM THE AXIS THEREOF AND OPERABLE TO DETACHABLE ENGAGE THE TOP RIM OF A PORCELAIN TOILET BOWL AND DETACHABLY SUPPORT THE SLEEVE IN AN UPRIGHT POSITION THEREON WITH SAID ONE END AT THE BOTTOM, SAID SLEEVE BEING SUBSTANTIALLY SYMMETRICAL ABOUT AN UPRIGHT AXIS, A ONE-PIECE DROP BOTTOM WHICH IS AT LEAST COEXTENSIVE TRANSVERSELY OF THE SLEEVE WITH SAID OPENING AND WHICH HAS A SEALING WALL WHICH IS OPERATIVE IN THE CLOSED POSITION OF THE BOTTOM TO ENGAGE AND FORM A WATERTIGHT SEAL WITH THE PERIPHERY OF SAID SIDE WALL AT SAID ONE END SO AS TO SEAL SAID ONE END, THE ENGAGING PORTION OF AT LEAST ONE OF SAID WALLS BEING RESILIENT, CONNECTING MEANS CONNECTING THE BOTTOM TO THE SLEEVE FOR SWINGING MOVEMENT UPWARDLY TO SAID CLOSED POSITION AND SWING MOVEMENT DOWNWARDLY TO AN OPEN POSITION WHERENIN SAID OPENING IS UNOBSTRUCTED SO THAT THE CONTENTS OF THE SLEEVE CAN DROP FREELY OUT OF SAID END, MANUALLY RELEASABLE LATCH MEANS OPERABLE TO WAINT THE BOTTOM UPWARELY TO SAID CLOSED POSITION AND, WHEN IN LATCHING POSITION TO HOLD THE BOTTOM IN SAID CLOSED POSITION AND OPERATIVE WHEN UNLATCHED TO PERMIT THE BOTTOM TO SWING DOWNWARDLY TO OPEN POSITION, SAID BOTTOM, EXCEPT FOR THE LATCH MEANS, BEING UNRESTRAINED FROM SWING DOWNWARDLY AND BEING OPERABLE TO SWING DOWNWARDLY FREELY TO SAID OPEN POSITION UPON RELEASE OF THE LATCH MEANS, SAID SUPPORTING MEANS HAVING SUPPORTING SURFACES FACING SAID ONE END AND POSITIONED SUFFICIENTLY CLOSE TO SAID END FOR SUPPORTING THE SLEEVE WITH SAID LOWER END OF THE SLEEVE AND THE DROP BOTTOM WITHIN THE BOWL, IN A POSITION ENDWISE OF THE SLEEVE SO THAT THE DROP BOTTOM CAN SWING DOWNWARDLY, UNRESTRAINED BY THE INSIDE WALL OF THE BOWL, TO AN OPEN POSITION PERMITTING A VERY FREE AND ALMOST INSTANTANEOUS DISCHARGE OF DROP OUT OF THE CONTENTS OF THE SLEEVE. 